Clothes-line prop.



B MLJ NITEn STATES PATENT DFFICE. t

wILBUa O. DAYTON,` or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

CLOTH ias-LINE PROP.

SPEGIFIGATIO forming part of Letters Patent No. 698,393, dated April 22; 1902.

i Application filed February 3, 1902, `Serial No. 92,360. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern: Be it known that I, VVILBURO. DAYTON, a citizen of the United States, residingat Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of lIllinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Clothes-Line Props; and I` do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to the fastening device by which the overlapping membersof an extension clothes-pole may be releasably held in any desired position of adjustment or extension, and has for its object to provide a construction wherein the weight resting on the pole tends to make the fastening more secure,

. which is simple and inexpensive in construction, and whichwhile secure and reliable, is

very easily operated, both in releasing the same and in producing its engagement.

The invention to these ends consists in the construction and arrangement of the `parts substantially as hereinafter set forth, and

pointed out 'in the appended claims.

In the accompanying,r drawings, Figure l is an edge view of portions of the two members of an extensible clothes-pole where said members overlap and showing a form of the releasable fastening applied, the pole being nearly fully extended.` Fig. 2 is a broadside View of the same portion of the same pole members, showing another form of attachment of the clamping-yoke to one of said pole members. Fig. 3 is a vertical` section of the parts in the plane 3 3 of Fig. 2; and Fig. .Lis a View of the clamping-yoke detached and formed, as indicated in Figs. 2 and 3, to give a rigid connection of the yoke with the lower pole member.

A is the lower member, and B the upper, member, of an extension clothes-pole, said members being arranged to overlap each other and being held in sliding relation to each other by the bands C C, fastened one to one member and the other to the other member and each loosely embracing the fellow member in a familiar manner or by other equivalent means.

D is a vibratory yoke attached to the lower pole member A and embracing the upper `ment. `pose be either pivotaily attached to the memmember B, and E is a clamp-block pivotally wardly to a limited degree only toward its free end, whereby downward pressure upon the clamp-block and downward pressure upon the upper pole member B when the clampblock is in contact with the member B tends to produce a binding action by the yoke upon the meeting surfaces of the members A and B, drawing them forcibly together and causing them to resist sliding movement one upon the other by their resulting frictional engage- The yoke D may for this general purber A, as shown in Fig. 1, or rigidly attached,

`as shown in Figs. 2 and 3; but I prefer to make the connection rigid and to rely upon resiliency of the yoke to give the desired vi bration thereof. In this case I make the yoke preferably of spring metal wire and may cheaply secure the rigidity of connection desired by turning the ends of the wire inward,

shown in Fig. A, and `driving said ends into the back of the pole A at the proper angle, as shown in Fig. 3. When the yoke is rigidly attached to the pole member A, it should be fastened at such an angle of inclination to the pole as to normally throw the clamp-block E downward into somewhat forcible contact with the pole member B. In that case the clamping engagement of the block E with the adjacent pole member will be automatic at any point upon downward'pressure of said member, while the pole may always be freely extended. To shorten the pole, it will then be necessary to forcibly lift the clamp-block, whereupon the top member will be free to descend and may be arrested at any point by imere release of the block from the lifting force. In any case the yoke must have such an inclination when in clamping action as to free the clamp-block and upper pole member when the yoke is lifted to a horizontal position.

The yclamp-block may bemade of any suitable material, but is preferably of hard wood and provided with a facing of soft rubber F 4to insure prompt and eective frictional engagement with the pole-surface upon which IOO it bears. The engaging surface ofthe clamp- I claim as my inventionl. `In an extension clothes-pole, the combination, with the extension members having means for holding them in sliding engagement with each other, of a Vibratory yoke connected with the lower pole member 'and embracing the upper pole member and a clamp-block movably mounted on the free end of the yoke and arranged to engage the sliding pole member by downward inclination of said yoke.

2. In an extension clothes-pole, thecombination, with the extension-pole members provided with means for holding them in sliding engagement with each other, of a spring-yoke carried by the lower pole member and embracing the upper pole member, and a clampblock carried pivotally by the yoke at its free end and engaging with the upper pole member, said spring-yoke normally havinga slight downward inclination toward the clampblock, substantially as set forth.

3. In an extension clothes-pole, the combination, with the extension-pole members provided with means for holding them in sliding engagement with each other, of a spring-Wire l scribed.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

VVILBUR 0. DAYTGN. Vitnesses:

LAWRENCE E. BRENNAN, JOHN WILLIAMS. 

